29,000 Without Power As Lines Continue To Fall
A wintry mix of sleet, rain and snow that is continuing across Northern Indiana is causing damage from ice and fallen tree limbs, which has resulted in elevated electric power outages. Currently, approximately 28,600 customers are affected, NIPSCO said as of 10:30PM Friday.
Based on current information and number of repairs needed, this is a multi-day outage for some customers. NIPSCO is recommending customers make the plans necessary to keep themselves and their families safe during this time frame. So far, 10,000 customers have been restored.
NIPSCO crews continue to work around the clock to assess damage, make necessary repairs and restore power as safely and quickly as possible – the ongoing wintry conditions and slick roads are contributing to the length of some of these outages. “We understand that any service outages is an inconvenience, and thank you for your patience and understanding as crews contend with challenging conditions as they work through assessment and restoration efforts,” NIPSCO said in a release.
Additional crews, including contractor resources, will be joining the restoration efforts throughout tonight and tomorrow.
If you see a truck driving by your house or neighborhood, please note that the assessment process requires the crews to move around to find the source of the outage. An outage affecting your home may call for a repair needed down the street or in another part of your neighborhood. Rest assured, even if you don’t see trucks, the crews are focused on finding and fixing your outage as quickly and safely as possible.
Safety First – Stay Away from Downed Power Lines
Most important to your safety is to avoid downed power lines, damaged poles or other hazardous situations. Every downed wire should be treated as though it is a live wire.
Restoration Process
Following an assessment of the damage, NIPSCO’s restoration process begins with repairing large transmission and distribution lines that supply electricity to large numbers of customers in large geographic areas – including critical customers such as hospitals and emergency response. Repairs to other lines that serve smaller groups of customers can’t be made until the larger lines feeding electricity to those areas are repaired.
Please Report Your Outage
If you are experiencing a power outage, please text “out” to 444111 to report it or visit nipsco.com/outages.
